Home & Garden

“Do you use-less? Or Are you useless?” Such was the strangely-worded binary posed by Hong Kong's DETOUR 2011 design festival. The project, which just wrapped up at the former Married Police Quarters in the city's Central district, was all about exploring the differentiation outlined in this question. The exhibition showed a group of designers and artists whose work demonstrated the possibility of turning useless objects into useful treasures through conservation and artistic recycling.

Skip ahead about 2,000 years and think of the ruins of buildings that humans (or otherwise) might experience -- much like travelers see the Acropolis today. Apple's newly proposed headquarters might spark speculation as to its purpose. A perfect circle, standing four stories tall, that housed 12,000 workers -- and bucked convention by burying the parking lots and doubled the trees. Oasis? Maybe a temple? A killer shopping mall? Or maybe a landed spaceship, as Steve Jobs described it to the Cupertino City Council on Tuesday night.

The humble restaurant washrooms of Hong Kong and Macau aren’t all so humble, thanks to the work of designers both local and international. Here are a few that warrant a dedicated visit, with or without that extra glass of wine.

More than a hotel, The Mira prides itself on being a destination. Every square inch of The Mira Hotel is designed to make your stay as comfortable and stylishly sophisticated as possible.